Quincy’s Narcan leader given national police award

Patrick Ronan The Patriot Ledger @pronan_Ledger

Saturday

May 31, 2014 at 5:00 AM

Quincy police Detective Lt. Patrick Glynn, the man who led the creation of the city's Narcan program for dealing with drug overdoses, has been given the 2014 Gary P. Hayes Memorial Award. The national award is given to a police officer who shows leadership and innovation to improve U.S. policies.

QUINCY – The Quincy detective behind the program that has revolutionized how police respond to opiate overdoses has been recognized with yet another national award.

On Thursday, Detective Lt. Patrick Glynn was awarded the 2014 Gary P. Hayes Memorial Award, given every year to a police officer who shows leadership and innovation to improve U.S. policies. Glynn received the award during the annual meeting of the Police Executive Research Forum, Major Cities Chiefs Association and the National Executive Institute Associates, held in San Francisco.

In 2010, Glynn spearheaded the Quincy Narcan program that is now being replicated in police departments across the country. The entire New York Police Department, the nation’s largest police force, will be trained to use Narcan in the coming months.

“It’s very humbling to get recognized like this,” Glynn said Friday from San Francisco, where he attended the meeting with Quincy Police Chief Paul Keenan. “The most important thing is that people are starting to notice that this (opiate addiction) is a disease people are suffering from, and it’s our job as police officers to assist everybody.”

Quincy police say that by administering Narcan in nasal-spray form, they have saved the lives of more than 200 people who overdosed on opiate drugs such as heroin. Opioid addiction is a growing problem, and public officials and advocates on the South Shore say it has reached epidemic proportions, sending addicts into jail cells, emergency rooms and morgues.

Glynn said he found out recently that the entire New York Police Department, the nation’s largest police force, will be trained to use Narcan in the coming months.

Last year, Glynn was one of seven people to receive an Advocates for Action award from the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy because of his his work with Quincy’s Narcan program.

Patrick Ronan may be reached at pronan@ledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @PRonan_Ledger.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.